


and the world I'll turn it inside out

by black_queen (hotch_fan)



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: ... but without any real sex, ... kind of, Alternate Universe - Escorts, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Anger Management, Apologies, Backwards Relationship, Banter, Blood and Injury, Bonding, Canon - Movie, Consent Issues, Conversations, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Developing Relationship, Dinner, Falling In Love, Feels, Flirting, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Guilt, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I Actually Know What I'm Doing Now, I Don't Even Know, Identity Issues, Jealousy, Kissing, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, Lust, M/M, Making Out, Massage, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, Minor Injuries, Misunderstandings, No Strings Attached, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Rough Sex, Secrets, Sex First Then Love, Sorry?, Swearing, Teasing, Touching, a little bit, forget that, serious conversations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2017-12-28 15:01:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotch_fan/pseuds/black_queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce Wayne is a high class escort. Tony Stark is ... interested.</p><p>"Hmm, I wasn't aware escorts--even as classy as yourself--were supposed to know about engineering."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this idea a couple of weeks ago and it wouldn't leave me alone so I finally give up and wrote it. This is a bit of an experiment, I guess. Not only because this is my first AU, but because even the style I wrote it in is different from my usual, so I would appreciate any kind of feedback.

Tony sat on the bed, back leaning against the headboard and his breath still ragged as he enjoyed the view the very naked and very hot body spread out on the other side of the bed presented him. It was a _damn_ good sight.

The other man was lying on his stomach, breath already even as he propped himself up on his elbows, giving Tony a very nice view of broad shoulders and very firm buttocks. And, surprise, surprise, there were several scars on his back too. The scars weren't too big or flashy and, most of them were old; nothing more than thin white lines against faintly tanned skin, but a few were thicker and red.

Hardcore stuff was supposed to be off the table here, or at least, that was what Tony had been told. It made him wonder. The bruises could be explained. Hell, he was sure there would be ones in the exact shape of his fingers on the other man's hips soon. But the scars were not the only thing that had caught his attention.

"So, you got a lot of men with a fucking beam of light coming from their chests to fuck?"

Lazy hazel eyes met Tony's eyes from under silky dark hair as the other man shrugged. And damn, the movement didn't even look a bit awkward in that position.

"You're not paying me to be curious."

Ah, this was new. He had never paid for sex. Like, _ever_. With his charms and money, he never had to. There was always someone willing to spread naked under him. Or above him, on a few occasions. That hadn't changed after his return, and the whole superhero thing had even multiplied the number of people willing to go to bed with him. It had been a thrill, at least until he started getting tired of the awkward pauses and startled looks. All the stupid and shallow words.

"And if I was."

A dark eyebrow raised, head propped on a fist. "You want me to ask why you have an arc reactor embedded in your chest?"

Tony blinked. Once, twice. Well, that certainly was a fucking improvement compared to the whined "God, what happened to you, Tony?" and the drunken "Why the hell is your chest growling?" he heard on a regular basis. And yeah, maybe it had to do with the fact he didn't fuck very bright people. Until _now,_ apparently.

"You know what it is."

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes. "The fact I do this doesn't mean I'm an idiot."

"Hmm, I wasn't aware escorts--even as classy as yourself--were supposed to know about engineering."

"You would be surprised. Even escorts can know about something other than sex."

"Okay. So, learning about engineering is something of a hobby for you."

Sharp, dark eyes narrowed at Tony. "Let me guess. Now that you suspect I might have a brain you'll want to know my sad life story and how I end up here instead of working in a cubicle on some nice office."

Tony arched an eyebrow at the dry tone. "Colour me intrigued, cupcake."

"What's with the nickname?"

"We both know the name you use is not your real name, so I'm improvising."

Head tilted slightly to the side. "We do?"

"Yep. So, you were going to tell me that tear-jerking story of yours, honey bear."

The dark-haired man gave him an irritated look, but at the end just sighed softly. "There's nothing to tell, really. Maybe I'm just doing something I'm good at and gets me good money."

"Yeah, no. That's boring."

"So it can't be true because it's boring?"

"Exactly."

They fell silent after that, eyeing each other for a long time.

"This is Gotham. Things don't work quite like they do elsewhere."

Tony waited, but nothing else came. "That's very vague, honey buns."

"It doesn't matter how smart you are. If you don't have friends in the right places or aren't willing to do whatever it takes to move up the chain, you're _nothing."_ The man's voice was hard, distant. "If you really are smart you realize that before it's too late."

"You did." It wasn't a question.

A wry curl of lips. "A lot of people do, but most of them go blindly along anyway. They don't realize there's no way back."

Tony paused for a moment. He knew the kind of hellhole Gotham was. Hell, who didn't? Not fucking superhero or governmental agency wanted to get into the mess, so they turned a blind eye and let crime bosses and ruthless businessmen hold the reins of the whole city, leaving the citizens to deal with all that crap as best they could.

"So, was it the friends or the setup for you?"

"A bit of both, I think," He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"So, uh, why don't just, you know, get the hell away from here? Like, go live somewhere nice and sunny, where the streets don't seem like something taken right out of some crappy horror movie."

"I thought about it, but is not that simple. Gotham is ... Gotham is my _home."_

He looked at Tony straight in the eye, a fierce, almost wild spark flashing in his dark eyes that sent a jolt of arousal straight to his cock.

The moment was gone as soon as it happened, and the other man was turning his head to look at the clock on the bedside table. He looked back at Tony, eyes flickering down to his hardening cock.

"We still have ten minutes. I can do something about that." He gave a tiny nod, hazel eyes shining with amusement and lust.

Tony moved fast, tackling and pinning the other man down against the mattress with a single move, attacking his mouth with all his might.

He could predict plenty of trips to Gotham in the near future as he trusted his tongue into the wet, hot mouth of the man under him. Maybe he should get Pepper to buy a building around here somewhere. Something big and with a damn good bed. And couch. And carpeting too. And a big shower. He was going to need them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Waynes weren't a wealthy family here, as you can already guess, so at first, I had Bruce getting into this business because he needed money, and then staying because that was the only way in which he could help people; earning more than enough money to be able to give some to charity or people how needed it, and while he still gives money away to help, the story changed in my head a bit. You'll see.
> 
> Lastly, this is unbetaed and I'm not a native speaker, so please feel free to point out any mistake you find.
> 
> The changed title was taken from the song "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen.


	2. four months later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sheepish grin* Hi! I hope there's anyone still interested in this fic. So, enjoy?

Tony tossed his phone to the other side of the couch with a curse before getting to his feet and walking to stand before the large window panes overlooking the city. He made a face at the cloudy and gloomy Gotham that greeted him. There was definitely something very wrong with this place.

He really, really couldn't wait to find the perfect place so the construction of the Stark Tower Gotham Edition could start. And not because he planned to spend a lot of time here--because hell no, he wasn't. This city depressed the hell out of him--but because no having JARVIS around was absolute and total _hell._ Especially now that Pepper stayed behind too.

Just when he was starting to ponder the idea of calling to annoy Rhodey for a bit, there was a faint knock at the door of his hotel suite.

Tony arched an eyebrow as he looked down at the very expensive and very shiny watch on his wrist. He was right on time. Like, only seconds later. It made him wonder if the other man had been standing outside, just waiting for the clock to tick six o'clock to knock. It was entirely possible. He gave a once-over to his reflection in the window before walking toward the door.

The dark-haired man at the other side of the door looked like any businessman going on about his day. Deep hazel eyes concealed behind a pair of rimless eyeglasses, hair perfectly coiffed, suit and tie, shiny shoes, and a dark briefcase in a hand.

In spite of seeing men in suits all the damn time, the sight still did something to Tony's already crazy livid.

"Hey. So, what's with the disguise, pumpkin?" Tony asked, stepping aside to let him in.

"Mr Stark," The other man greeted with a nod, the corner of his lips curled up. "Discretion," He replied once the door was closed. "The staff of this hotel is well known for its confidentiality, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

"Ooo-kay. I don't really care about discretion or whatever the gossip columns have to say about me, but I'm sure Pepper would appreciate it."

There was no reply to that comment as the man took off his glasses, shoving them into his pocket. Riiight. He wasn't being paid to be curious. Tony really needed to get used to that. Though really, he couldn't help but wonder if the no asking questions thing was some kind of psychological crap because even without any kind of prompting or sight of interest, he felt the impulse to expand on his answer. And he had never been particularly good at ignoring any impulse.

"Pepper Potts. She's my personal assistant. Cleans up after any mess I've made and gets to scold me for it too as a bonus."

Head tilted to the side. "Pepper doesn’t sound like a very common name."

"That's because it's not a name."

"You have a thing for nicknames, huh?" One of the man's hands was on his neck, skillfully loosening his tie. The jacket was already on the couch.

"Huh. I guess I do."

Tony shook his head before he walked further, taking the two glasses of wine on the center table and turning back to handle him one of them. "Here. This is for you."

Long, pale fingers brushed against his own as the taller man reached for the glass with a murmured 'thank you,' before bringing the cup to his lips to take a sip.

"Mmm. You favor French wine, I see."

"Not really. I'm an all opportunity kind of man. As long as it does its work, I'm willing to try pretty much _anything."_

With a nod to the other man to follow him, Tony moved toward the couch. Just as he reached for his previously discarded cell phone, he saw him sitting down on the couch with a suspiciously empty glass in his hand out the corner of his eye. He blinked before looking at the innocent decorative plant placed in the center of the table.

"You're aware of the fact you just wasted a glass of the perfectly good Montrachet I offered you by tossing it into that potted plant, right?"

He obviously wasn't used to being caught. His whole body went rigid in a second, and just as fast loosened up again. There was no sign of panic or fear, but there was an almost endearing submissive air on his demeanor that was kind of hot, even if Tony wasn't sure he liked it.

"I apologize, Mr Stark. I-"

Tony lifted a hand to halt him. "Hey, relax, sugar. I don't want an apology. But I would like to know why you did that atrocity."

Hazel eyes shifted away for a second. "I like to keep full control over my senses at all times. Any among of alcohol in my system makes that difficult."

That much was true, Tony could tell. And it made perfect sense, really, that he would want to keep some degree of control over the situation pretty much the only way he could. After all, he agreed to have encounters with strange people in enclosed spaces on a regular basis. People he knew nothing or very little about. Once you got past the agreement to do it, there was very little to control from there.

It also made him wonder if he had done the same thing on their first encounter and he just hadn't noticed. Probably.

"Okay. But, like, you could have just declined my very nice offer, you know."

A pause. "In this _profession,_ you learn most people don't take kindly to being denied. Not even a simple drink."

And that, too, made perfect sense. The power plays were always very common, even more so with rich people. It could go in a lot of ways, and didn't even have to be physical. In fact, more often than not, it was subtle; psychological, and even nonverbal. Tony didn't really want to think about the other kind of bullshit people in his 'profession' may have to put up with.

"I promise I would make it up to you."

"I like the sound of that," Tony flirted right back. "But I'm wounded, sweet cheeks. I thought you already knew I'm a beautiful and unique little snowflake and all that jazz."

A wry twitch of lips. "I can see that."

"Good. So, can I offer you something else? And please do remember you already poured my delicious scotch over there so be nice."

A fingertip touched the lip of the empty glass. "Water would be fine, Mr Stark."

"Great! I haven't checked the minibar in this place, but it's supposed to be well stocked so I'm sure there should be water somewhere," Tony said with a wave at said minibar's direction. "Also, please cut that 'Mr Stark' crap."

The dark-haired man stood up in one fluid motion, the muscular legs he still remembered hidden beneath the tailored pants that clung to his thighs.

Tony watched him go, enjoying the particular swing of hips that meant the other man knew he was being watched and was putting on a bit of a show just for him. He drained the liquid in his glass in one go and placed it on the table.

With a crystal bottle of water in a hand--surely imported from somewhere nice and far away, filled with water from some natural and remote springs--the man returned, his footsteps nearly silent on the floor. He took a sip of the water bottle, before putting the cap back and placing it on the table.

A nod at his empty glass on the table. "You want some more?"

"When do I not, honey?"

At his words, the other man reached for the bottle and poured some more wine into his glass, turning to handle it to him with a small curl of his lips.

Tony drowned the liquid in a few seconds and handed him the glass back, "Come here."

With the glass safety back on the table he complied, straddling him on the couch. Tony didn't waste time, closing the short distance between them to bring their lips together. The billionaire let his hands wander as his lips moved, tracing his back and slowly slipping lower. He got carried away under the comfortable weight of the other man's arms around his neck, his deft fingers playing with his hair as his tongue brushed and flickered against his own.

They broke the kiss a moment later; after it had turned lazy and slow, instead of hard and demanding as it had started. The man's mouth trailed down slowly, nuzzling and kissing his jaw and neck.

"Ah," Tony arched his neck back further, a hand coming up to work on the buttons of his shirt. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Mmm," Tony felt the other man's warm breath ghosting over his skin, making him shiver. "I must admit I was surprised when I was told you were back in Gotham."

"Really? You shouldn't sell yourself short, kitten."

"That's not what I mean," Gleaming hazel eyes met his own briefly before he leaned forward, warm breath ghosting against Tony's neck. "But you did not seem particularly fond of Gotham from what I recall of our conversation."

"No, I wasn't. And I'm still not. I _hate_ this fucking hellhole. It's dark and dirty and fucked up. But hating something or somewhere has never stopped me from seeing it again," Tony flashed him a flirty smile before kissing the corner of his lips. "Especially when I find a little gem among the filth."

A snort. "I know Gotham isn't for everyone." Tony's shirt was pulled open. A fingertip traced the edge of the arc reactor in his chest making him pause.

Still, Tony would have replied. In fact, he was about to do just that when the dark-haired man chose that moment to slip his hand into his pants, palming him through his underwear, and Tony decided that the discussion of just how fucked up this city was could wait a few minutes.

Okay, make that a couple of hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I have no idea what I'm doing with this, but I think that's pretty clear considering it took me literally _years_ to post the second chapter. *sigh* Anyway, due to how hard it is already for me to try to keep up with the multi-chapter stories I have, I decided not to make this one too. I have a few very general ideas for one-shots in this universe I may or may not add, but even if I do, I can't say how soon they will be posted. So, double sorry, I guess. *hides away*~~
> 
> And this just goes to show the crazy way my mind works. Perhaps a week after I posted this chapter, my brain started working like crazy with this universe, and I actually have a very general plot line for this fic. Just like that. So, I can announce now this story will have around ten chapters, and will be update a lot faster this time around. I hope you're still interested!


	3. six months later

Tony made the seemingly offhanded comment just as their second encounter was about to be over, with the younger man already dressed even if his shirt was still open and the undone burgundy tie was around his neck. Tony was admiring the view from where he was lying lazily on the bed- because yes, they did get to the bed at some point.

"Hey. I should buy you dinner next time. What do you say? Got a nice place around that looks like it doesn't belong in this hellhole? You know, big and that doesn't look ready to collapse? And shiny. I love bright and shiny things."

"I'm sure I can find something like that if you want," Was the dry reply.

"I'm sure you will. And yes, yes, I want." Tony answered before promptly beckoning him back for some more kissing.

And here he was now, being graciously escorted by the maître d' of the luxurious restaurant. They avoided the most crowded area and instead used the elevator, heading toward the rooftop- except it wasn't an ordinary rooftop. There were glass panes surrounding a dimly lit cozy dining area composed only of a handful of tables set up far away from each other (all of them empty now), and all around the glittering lights of the surrounding buildings, making it an almost idyllic view.

Of course, from up so high it was impossible to see the dirt and blood pooling in the streets below.

His companion had not arrived yet, though not by fault of his own. Tony had purposely arrived five minutes early, just because. So the billionaire settled down, ordering drinks for both of them and preparing to admire the privileged view he was very likely paying a ridiculous amount of money for.

He was obviously getting back at Tony for all the badmouthing he made of his precious city. And there was also that privacy thing again, too, he supposed.

It took him longer than he expected to return to Gotham this time around- but then again, being a hero was a full-time job and all that jazz.

Without a place to call his own in the city yet (so, sadly no JARVIS) Tony traveled in the jet again since he couldn't bring his suit. Still, he packed the Mark V (his portable suit) which was currently in the trunk of his rental car, protected by any and all security measures imaginable. So, yep, the suitcase wasn't going anywhere.

Pepper hadn't been as surprised this time when he mentioned his trip in passing, but she hadn't looked any happier either. Tony couldn't help but feel a little bad for her and all her worry, but not enough to stop from coming.

At least he saved her the mortification of asking her to call to arrange the appointment.

Tony contacted the agency himself to set another meeting a few days ago, asking them to make arrangements for a dinner reservation made to the other man's specifications. He was called back with the details to confirm he agreed (with the bill, more than anything, really) but Tony said yes without paying attention to anything he was told.

He raised the glass of wine that had been served a minute or so before and took a long sip. It wasn't until now as he watched around the rectangular glass structure, with the city unfolding around him that he realized he had wanted to be surprised, and he was, if just a little.

"You're early," Was whispered close to his ear, making him jump in his seat. _Damn!_ How come he didn't hear the other man approach? The warm breath and cold hand touching the back of his neck lightly evoked a shudder.

"Yes, well," The billionaire cleared his throat. "My hotel room was boring and empty, so I had no reason to stay there."

He watched the impeccably dressed man walk around to sit on the opposite chair. His dark hair was slightly tousled by the wind and his cheeks flushed.

It was a very appealing sight.

"I ordered for you," A dark eyebrow was arched as the man leaned back in his chair. "Relax. I learned my lesson last time, so it's just ginger ale. Totally boring, but whatever."

"Thank you," Was the murmured reply before the glass was raised to slightly curled lips for a sip. Tony followed suit, almost draining his own glass.

"What do you think?" A discreet hand wave accompanied the younger man's question.

Brown eyes looked him up and down him critically. "Hot. I like the vest. We're so keeping it around for later. And the tie is not so bad, but maybe a darker color would have worked best for your skin tone."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself," A flutter of dark eyelashes and a sultry half-smirk made Tony squirm a little. "But I was talking about the place."

"Oh. It's okay, I suppose."

"You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that, sugar, but I don't think there's something I can like about this city. Other than _you,_ of course."

"Of course," Was murmured as the other man lowered his eyes.

It was ... --Tony would say endearing, but that sounded too mushy feely-- it was _curious_ that something so simple evoked that kind of reaction when the man didn't even bat an eyelash with things that would merit some kind of reaction from most people.

"Well, I'm starving," Tony declared, picking up his menu. "We should order something."

"Yes, of course."

Tony pulled open his menu and watched the other man do the same. The menus had been brought when he ordered the drinks, but he hadn't bothered to take a look yet. He hadn't lied when he said he was hungry, so he hoped the food tasted as good as one would expect from a place that looked like this.

A young waiter arrived only moments later, and left just as silently with their orders and the menus, promising a quick return with their appetizer.

"So," Tony started once the waiter was out of sight, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "This is officially our third date."

A slow blink. "I-"

"Relax, cupcake. I'm under no pretense about the relationship we have here, so I'm not going to ask you to marry me or any other cliché like that," Tony dismissed with an easy wave of his hand.

"Okay," Hazel eyes were watching him warily.

"But you have to admit that a third date--in any context, really--it's a big deal."

Head tilt. "Is it?"

"Totally. You can ask anyone." Tony assured with a grin. "So, having agreed on that, I think it's only logic to think this would be the perfect time to advance to the next level in this relationship."

They were interrupted by the return of the waiter, much to Tony's annoyance. He shot the poor man a glare and it wasn't until he scurried away that the other man looked back at him.

"And what _advance_ would that be?"

Tony schooled his features into an impassive mask before answering. "I think I've earned the right to know your name."

"But you already know my name," Was replied after a short pause.

"Please," Tony huffed, rolling his eyes. "We went over this already. I told you I know that's not your name."

"And why's that?"

"Because no one uses real names in business like these. Come one! Everyone knows that."

"You would be surprised by how untrue that is," He replied with an arched eyebrow. "And even if that were true, wouldn't that be a good idea to use it? People would think it's an alias, and wouldn't look at it twice- Not that I think _anyone_ would even care to look."

Tony watched him with narrowed brown eyes. "Yeah, no. And even if that were true, why would you tell me about it?"

"Maybe because you insist on knowing my name?" There was a touch of annoyance in that reply, making Tony smirk. Good or bad, he always loved getting a reaction out of people.

"Nice try, darling, but I don't buy it. Come on, you can tell me. You can trust your pal good ol' Tony," The billionaire added, putting on his most charming and bright smile. "I can even agree not to use it if you tell me."

Dark eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you want to know my name if you aren't even going to use it?"

"I just like to know things," Tony replied easily with a shrug of his shoulders.

In the silence that followed, Tony's eyes were drawn down to the table, where a slim finger was tapping against the glass.

"I'll think about it."

He blinked up. _"Really?_ That's it?"

"Yes."

The billionaire studied the other man. The twitching lips that weren't quite smiling, and the dark hazel eyes that were looking at him a touch guardedly. Watching him, Tony couldn't help but wonder why he didn't just give him a random name and get this over with. It would be so much easier for him to just give in, or at least pretend he had- yet he didn't.

Tony was honestly not sure what to make of it; he just knew it made him even more determinate to get an answer.

"You're a fucking hard-ass."

"I do try," Was the dry reply delivered over the rim of the glass.

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fine! Have it your way, but I'm not giving up so easily."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Mr. Stark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I wasn't lying when I said I actually know where I'm going with this. Like I said, I have a few ideas for the next chapters, so I'm hoping to keep a somewhat constant update schedule for this fic. *fingers crossed*
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. four months later

Tony groaned out loud in response to the delicious pressure he felt. He was lying on his stomach, sweaty and without a stitch of clothing, with his head nestled on his folded arms and eyes squeezed shut.

The billionaire bit his lip to hold back a gasp as the pleasure turned to pain, only to shift back to pleasure a second later, making him grasp tightly the sheets under his hands.

The other man was straddling him, settled across Tony's lower back as two powerful thighs rested on each side of his hips, warm and skilled hands moving back and forth across his skin. The hands moved from the base of his neck down to his buttocks and everywhere in between; caressing and stroking the bare skin.

"Yes! Fuck! Right there." Tony shouted breathlessly, thrusting into the mattress involuntarily.

"Relax," Was whispered huskily in his ear, making him shiver. The other man dropped a kiss to his right shoulder blade, and then the warmth of the body against his back receded. Tony shivered, already missing the weight of the body that had been pressed against his own just seconds before. Slightly calloused hands went back to caressing his back.

"I'm- _Fuck._ I'm relaxed. Never been more relaxed in my- Ugh..." Tony trailed off, swallowing hard before attempting to talk. "Do that again."

"As you wish, Mr. Stark," Was the smooth reply.

Tony opened his mouth to complain about that 'Mr. Stark' crap, but all it came out was a long, obscene moan as the man did the thing again, just as he asked him to. Jesus fucking Christ.

Breath ragged and heart beating fast against his chest, he barely caught the sound of a light chuckle. The muted sound gave the billionaire pause- and not just because it was the first time he heard the man chuckle. Goddammit! He was far from being a newbie on this and he was fucking _acting_ like he was. He needed to get a fucking grip!

He managed to keep his cool for a couple of minutes when the cadence of the movements continued smooth and steady, but as soon as the delicious pressure returned as the man's thumbs pressed a touch roughly between the shoulder blades, causing a bone-deep shudder to go through his body his resolve crumbled and he stopped holding back; surrendering completely to the pleasure he was feeling.

Tony had been skeptical when the man suggested a massage, but agreed with a careless shrug of his shoulders and a lopsided grin.

He wasn't about to regret doing that anytime soon.

As a playboy billionaire, he had received plenty of massages before, most of them technically better since they were done by professional masseurs. Still, Tony had no qualms to admit this was hands down one of the best massages he had ever received.

Maybe it was because the massage started when he was still loose and relaxed, enjoying the afterglow, or maybe because both of them were naked, bare skin touching bare skin- Not that he cared all that much either way.

He was too far gone to care about anything right now.

* * *

Tony blinked his eyes open, brow furrowing as he caught a small glimpse of gray walls and large window panes. It took him a moment and a couple of blinks to focus enough to remember where he was exactly, and a second more to understand the reason for the mild soreness in his body and why he fell asleep in the first place.

Lifting his head, he saw the younger man sitting on the other side of the bed, leaning against the headboard. His blue pinstripe shirt was unbuttoned and he had put his briefs back on. He looked at him, placing aside his smartphone as he noticed Tony was awake.

"Hey. You sleep well?"

"I honestly can't remember the last time I slept this good," Tony replied, voice thick with sleep. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "And now I'm _very_ tempted to kidnap you and take you home with me so I can get one of these whenever I want, sweet cheeks."

"I'll appreciate if you didn't," Was the dry reply.

"I make no promises." It wasn't until Tony tried to roll to lie on his side that he noticed the bed sheet was covering him from the waist down. He pulled it away and rolled onto his back, sitting up to lean against the headboard. When he looked back the other man was holding out a water bottle for him. Tony arched an eyebrow.

"It's good to be well hydrated after a massage."

Tony made a face but accepted the bottle without a word. He popped it open and drank half of its content.

"You worked as a masseur before?"

"I didn't," Was the simple reply.

"Really?"

"Really. Though I have some knowledge about pressure points and that helps give good massages, or so I've been told."

"You have _some_ knowledge?"

A shrug of board shoulders. "I like to learn things, but I don't have the patience or time to focus on one subject for too long, so I only know a little about it."

The billionaire nodded in understanding. He felt exactly like that about a bunch of things ... Like business management. He knew enough about it to kind of handle SI of course, but couldn't be bothered to learn as much as he knew he should. _Thank fuck_ he found Pepper. Or that she found him. Whatever.

"Pressure points, huh? Does that mean you can knock me out just by pressing some strange nerve in my neck like they do in the movies?"

A wry curl of lips. "Why? Are you interested in being knocked unconscious?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" He asked with a nod to the smartphone on the bedside table.

"Of course not. I was only checking the news feed while I waited for you to wake up."

"Oh. Found anything about me?" Tony asked with a lazy grin.

"I did, actually."

The billionaire blinked. "Really?"

An arched eyebrow. "Are you surprised?"

"Well, yeah. I haven't done anything newsworthy since I came here. Or well, nothing newsworthy they know about," Tony amended with a wink.

A thin-lipped smile. "You've come to Gotham in the last months more times than in all the years before that. And not only that, but you're building here. Of course people are talking about you."

"And what are they saying exactly?"

Head tilt. "You want to know what people are saying or what the _media_ is saying."

Tony raised his eyebrows at him. "I'm sure whatever the media is saying can't be too different from what they say back home, so people. Definitely people."

"Your sudden interest in Gotham produced plenty of speculation, though I can only speak of the little I know," Slight movement and one ankle crossed over the other. "Your presence has made a few people suspicious, but you're giving a lot of people hope too. They think Iron Man will fix things and save the city."

"And what about you, cupcake? What do you think?"

"Does it matter?"

Tony pretended to ponder that. "Maybe not, but I'll like to hear it anyway."

There was a pause. "I guess I'm more realistic than that."

"Hmm," The billionaire hummed under his breath, head slightly cocked to the side. "So, you don't think the city can be saved, or you think _I_ can't save it?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"Really? Because the question sounds pretty simple to me." Tony watched him for a long moment. "That was pretty dumb, huh? Of course you think the city can be saved, why would you stay here otherwise, right?"

Hazel eyes flickered away from his face as silence filled the room.

"I guess that's my answer."

"It’s not-" Lips pressed together and conflicted eyes under furrowed eyebrows. He was obviously struggling to express whatever idea he had.

"What is happening in Gotham it's different from anything you've had to deal with before, and there's no easy or quick fix if you want a _real_ solution. Things aren't quite so black and white here." An opaque look. "Expose or attack people isn't going to make a real difference; you would only find there are five others ready to take his or her place.

"There's no clear group or place you can target to truly fix this. The city's root problems need to be addressed rather than only dealing with the immediate and obvious problems if you want a long-term solution."

Well, well, well. Would you look at that? This was so not the kind of conversation he expected to have while lying naked in bed with a hot guy in his side- Not that he was complaining exactly. It was an interesting turn of events.

"You've thought this through."

One blink and the intensity of his gaze was dimmed. "I guess I have."

Tony said nothing, but he had to admit there was some truth to what the other man said. He knew next to nothing about what was going on with the city. Sure, like most people he knew it was all fucked up; crime, corruption and all kinds of ugly things spread all over the place like a plague, but that was pretty much it.

Of course, he hadn't been planning to sweep in to save the day- at least _not yet._ Still, with all the time he was spending here now, maybe he should attempt to learn more about what was going on.

Sometime. Soon, maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit I'm actually surprised by how easily this story is coming along. I know my updates aren't what you would call frequent, but considering this is me and how long this story stayed with just one chapter, I'm pretty happy with the pace and very hopeful of finishing this fic since I've also been working on bits and pieces of the next chapters too.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying this fic!


	5. three months later

"Well, hello there," Tony greeted with a grin, inviting the other man in with a theatrical wave of his hand and closing the door after him. "You're right on time. As always," He added with a glance at his watch.

He was once again wearing what the billionaire mentally called his 'business' attire, the only difference was that this time he shed the tie and wore his collar open. Still, the glasses and the briefcase were present- and Tony couldn't help but feel curious once again about what he was carrying inside.

Tony dismissed the thought before his imagination could run wild once again. The briefcase was most likely empty anyway.

"Mr. Stark," The silken voice greeted him.

"Ah, ah, ah," Tony waved his index finger playfully in his direction. "We already talked about that 'Mr. Stark' nonsense, remember?"

A head tilt. "I do, but I thought it better to err on the safe side."

"You did, didn't you."

The billionaire watched him take on the mess of papers scattered over the coffee table, along with his StarkPads and laptop. The pot of coffee he ordered as well as his filled mug were on the floor, placed to the side of where he had been sitting to avoid accidents. He learned that lesson from past incidents, thank you very much.

He would live in a paper-free paradise were it not for Pepper. The redhead was old-fashioned like that, though he had the sneaking suspicion that was in part or totally because of him. After all, she never missed an opportunity to present him with a pile of papers, and there was always that nasty curl on her lips.

She was evil incarnated. Okay, not really, but she enjoyed making him miserable too much to be healthy.

"Is this a bad time?"

Tony blinked at the question and then rolled his eyes. He wouldn't have asked him to come if it was, right? And it was not like he needed to come all the way to _fucking Gotham_ to work. It was more than obvious by now he was here for him and nothing more.

At least until now and all thanks to Pepper.

"Of course not. Come one," Tony walked to the small living room, sitting down on the floor before the coffee table and patting the empty space at his side. "I was waiting for you, actually."

"Hmm?"

Tony looked up at him. "I need a local perspective."

"About what?"

The other man complied with the request and sat down at his side after leaving his briefcase and jacket aside, glasses already tucked in his pocket. Tony waited until he looked back at him to speak.

"Business. Thing is, I need to find a local company or two to make a few deals with. The faster the better," He added.

"Why?"

Tony sighed dramatically. "Turns out you were right. People are starting to get curious about all my trips. Coming over to supervise the construction of the tower isn't cutting it anymore. That and the fact I'm building in the first place is _suspicious_ anyway, so Pepper ordered me to do business here. To explain future trips and all that jazz."

A dark eyebrow arched. "She ordered you?"

"Of course," Tony made a face. "Right. Forgot you haven't met her. She's not the kind of woman you want to mess with, so I try to listen to her. It doesn't always work, but I do try."

Tony smirked when he saw the wry twitch of lips on the other man's face.

"Anyway, she raised some very good points, and even if I couldn't care less about what they say, I think it's an interesting idea. It should be fun to do business here. So, are you gonna help me?" Tony asked with a wiggled of his eyebrows.

"I don't think I will be of much help," Brow furrowed slightly. "Shouldn’t you be asking a business consultant about this?"

"No need. I already know what they're gonna say. First, they will try to persuade me to pick any other city to make business. A safer market. When that doesn't work, they're going to helpfully point me in the direction of the big companies where I can get a solid deal. As long as they haven't had any big crazy scandals and seem to be clean, of course, but in this city that doesn't mean much, right?"

A small nod and lips pressed together were his answer.

Tony let out a sigh, leaning back against the sofa. "Maybe I should just tell them I'm tracking down the Bat."

"What?"

"You know, the guy prowling the streets dressed as a bat. The same people are very originally calling Bat-Man." Tony snorted, shaking his head. "Guess I got a pretty good deal with the naming thing, huh? But of course I'm not dressed like a rodent, so I'm sure that helped."

"You know about him?" Was the cautious question, ignoring the rest of what he said.

"Yup. After our little chat from last time, I realized maybe I should learn a bit about what's going on in your beloved city."

A blink. "You didn't have to do that."

"Of course not, sugar, but I'm already building here so, oops, I kind of did. Besides, I had some free time last week," Tony said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have to admit most of the local media is doing a super fab job keeping it all very hush hush, not naming name--or ridiculous nicknames, in this case--and talking about unidentified hooded thugs and not linking everything people say he's done.

"That's not gonna last long, obviously. This isn't China or some other dictatorship. You can maybe control the press, but you can't control the internet. It's not that easy to control information in a time where you can get rid of a grainy photo or video and have ten more show up, just like that," He said with a snap of his fingers.

Tony reached for his mug of coffee and watched the man over the rim. The billionaire couldn't accuse him of being a chatterbox exactly, but he had grown extra quiet just now. Interesting.

"Enough of me and what I think. What do you think?"

"Me?"

Tony would have teased him for that response, but he didn't want to get sidetracked. "Well, I'm asking you, so yes."

"I don't know," There was a slight pause. "I'm not even sure he exists, but if he does I hope he knows what he's doing, whoever he is."

"That's it?"

"Yes." Tony watched him expectantly, prompting him to add, "I know very little about this, but I don't think an unknown person that dress up like that and beats people in the dark is someone that should inspire much trust."

"Even if he's stopping crimes and saving lives?"

"I said I don't think he should be _trusted,_ not that I can't see the good side of what he's done at the moment, but it's more complicated than that." A pause. "How can anyone be sure his motivations are good? Or that he's not insane and actually knows what he's doing?"

Tony hummed a little. "I still wanna met him."

"Why?"

"Dunno. Guess I'm curious about someone how dresses up like a little bat at night and go beat baddies with his bare fists or something like that. You don't know where I can find him by any chance, do you?" Tony asked with a crooked eyebrow. "I know he's supposed to be where crime is, but well. Pretty much the whole city is swimming in crime so it's hard to pinpoint an exact location."

"I don't,"

"It was worth a shot," He said with a shrug of his shoulder. "And what about the other thing? You gonna help me or what?"

A flicker of hazel eyes. "I still don't think I will be of much help, but I can try if you want me to."

"Great!" Tony set his mug aside and reached for one of the pads, fingers flicking across the screen. "You don't have to worry too much. I already did my homework so the companies I want you to look over are supposed to be 'clean'. I just need you to tell me if you have heard any shady rumors about them, so I know where to dig deeper. Or if there's a good general perception of them too, I guess."

Tony looked up at him, holding out the pad. "Alright?"

"I guess,"

"Oh, you don't have to look so glum, sweet cheeks," Tony encouraged, reaching for one of the other pads. "I'm not going to pour all my millions into a company just based on what you tell me. I just need a few pointers, and I don't trust what strange rich men in suits tell me."

The arched eyebrow and overall wry look on the man's face seemed to say 'you don't trust professionals, but you trust me?'. Tony threw him a wink.

"Alright. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

A moment and several companies later, Tony was starting to wonder if this had been a good idea after all.

The man moved in the right circles and seemed sharp enough to pick a few things along the way, but so far he seemed very much out of his deep here, having made only a few hesitant comments so far, and nothing really worthwhile.

The billionaire was very bored and getting ready to cut this crap short and actually do something _productive_ when things took an unexpected turn.

"Fox Corp. The company looks okay and clean on paper and the CEO is a genius. The only problem is that it hasn't grown in years. It even dropped a few points not too long ago."

Tony wasn't surprised by the silence that followed his statement, and it wasn't until the other man started talking that he looked up.

"The company is stagnant because they refuse to do business with companies that have ties to the mob. And the stock drop was caused by that as well."

"How so?"

A moment of silence and then, "The CEO apparently refused to take a side during the latest big conflict between Falcone and Maroni. It's well-known that if you aren't with them you're against them, so they made sure the company suffered for it. The only thing that saved it at all is that it remained neutral and the support of other people."

"Is all that public knowledge or what?" Tony asked with his eyebrows raised.

A pair of hazel eyes that didn't quite meet his. "I know someone who knows someone that works in the company."

"The friend of a friend, huh?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll dig some more," Tony said finally, a thoughtful expression on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wayne Enterprises doesn't exist here (for obvious reasons) so I give you Fox Corp! I'm pretty sure some of you may realize where I'm going with this. ;)
> 
> Please don't ask why this update took so long because I literally have _no idea._ I just hate it when I know what I want to happen in a chapter and yet it just wouldn't get written. Ugh! The good news is, the next couple of chapters should be up sooner since I already made some pretty good progress on them. \o/
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this!


	6. two months later

It wasn't until the bliss of the afterglow was slowly fading away, letting Tony come back online that he noticed something wasn't quite _right._

"Fuck!"

"Are you okay?"

The question made Tony turn to look back at the other man, but he didn't answer right away, choosing instead to watch him appreciatively. Tony had jumped him as soon as he walked through the door, only taking the time to get rid of the clothes that were on the way, and thus leaving the younger man wearing nothing below the waist while the rest had stayed on, if a bit- no, scratch that. _A lot_ rumpled.

The billionaire had always had a thing about messing anything or anyone that looked neat and pretty; a wild urge to corrupt and taint, even if it was almost always just an illusion considering the kind of people he normally dealt with. Even so, it came as a surprised how much of a turn on it was right now.

He watched the man lying at his side on the thick and soft rug in the living room; watched the faint blush on his cheeks and neck, the red swollen lips and strong bare legs. There was even a smudge of come on his left thigh. Tony resisted the urge to lean forward to lick it.

All those little details were such a delicious contrast with the rumpled but nice jacket and shirt, and the slightly crooked tie. He could almost imagine the man at his side was an upright lawyer he seduced and debauched. Maybe a boring accountant or stockbroker he had picked up somewhere for an afternoon of wild raunchy sex.

The thought alone was making him kind of hard again, but he didn't quite get there because there was the blood and pain to think about.

"Yeah. I think I might have popped a few stitches." Tony explained with a wince, patting lightly the left side of his abdomen.

"Let me see." It was almost an order, the man propped up on his elbows.

Tony arched an eyebrow but said nothing. He pulled off his t-shirt, exposing the gauze that was covering the healing wound before taking that too with a wince. There were small smudges of red in the white cloth. Maybe, just maybe, he should have listened to Pepper when she told him he should wait a few days before coming to Gotham.

Hazel eyes turned sharp as the man sat up all the way, eyes flickering across the bruises and cuts in his bare skin before coming to land on the small but messy patch of blood. The younger man rolled his body and rose to his hands and knees, crawling closer until he was almost straddling Tony; examining the injury closer. "Shouldn't your metal suit protect you from this kind of injuries?"

Tony made a face, looking down at himself. Yep, the stitches had been pulled. Joy! "It should and it does. At least half of the bones in my body would be broken or fractured if I hadn't been wearing the suit." An arched eyebrow was his answer. "It doesn't matter how hard or resistant the material of the suit is, it can be crushed like paper if it gets hit with a shit-ton of force.

"There's pretty much nothing on this Earth that can make that happen, but there are a few exceptions capable of leaving me with a few scratches."

Eyebrows furrowed together slightly. "When did this happen?"

It was Tony's turn to arch a dark eyebrow. "You don't see the news much, do you, sweet cheeks?"

"Not always," Was the vague answer.

"It happened yesterday."

"... Shouldn't you be resting?"

"That's what I'm here for. Don't you see me?" Tony asked with a hand wave. "Lying here all fucked and relaxed?"

A wry twitch of lips. "Not many people would think of Gotham as a place of peace and quiet."

Tony snorted. "Tell me about it."

A serious look. "You should call a doctor. Or maybe drive to the hospital."

"Hell, no. I think I may be able to fix it. Maybe." Tony squinted down at the wound. "It's just like sewing socks and stuff, right?"

"Have you ever sewed anything?" Skepticism was dripping from the words.

"Not really."

The other man sighed softly. "You're not going to go to the hospital, are you?"

"Not unless you knock me unconscious and drag me there, darling," Tony replied with an infuriating smirk.

Narrowed hazel eyes meet his own for a moment. Then another sigh. "It's there a first aid kit around?"

Tony blinked in surprise. "Yeah. Probably? I don't know. It's not like I search for a first aid kit as soon as I get into a room."

"Stay here. I'll go look."

With that the other man stood and walked away, acting as if he couldn’t give a fuck about moving around the room with its large window panes wearing no pants or underwear. He probably wasn't, and with that backside Tony wouldn't be either. Hell, he didn't have _that_ ass and he still had no problem walking around naked.

He leaned back against the sofa, using his ruined shirt to clean some of the blood and looked up again when the other man returned, empty-handed but offering a splendid view.

"There's no first aid kit, so you will have to call to ask for it," The man reached down to pick his underwear. "Or better yet, ask for medical assistance."

Tony shot a glare at the offending dark boxer briefs as the other man put them on. "I like that first option better. Hand me the phone, please."

Within minutes there was a polite knock at the door, which Tony answered wearing a fluffy white robe. It took some persuading to make the man leave after he handed over the first aid kit (obviously wanting to ensure there would be no issues for the hotel from whatever it was he wanted the kit for) but he kicked him off in the end.

White case in hand, Tony walked back to the living room area where the other man was waiting. He hadn't put his pants on and had in fact taken off his jacket and tie, even opening a few buttons of his shirt too. Tony whistled.

"Looking hot there, cupcake."

An eye roll. "You want help with that?"

"Don't tell me you're a doctor," Tony exclaimed, walking toward him. He didn't miss the brief tensing of board shoulders before the taller man started rolling up his sleeves.

"I'm not, but I think it would be impolite to let you deal with it on your own. And _I_ at least know how to sew."

"Oh! Isn't that just sweet and so, so reassuring too."

A wry look. "You were planning to do it yourself just a minute ago."

"Well, yeah, but there's a difference between fucking myself over _and_ letting someone else do the fucking. And we're not talking about fun fucking, obviously."

"Obviously." A twitch of lips. "You can relax. I may not be a doctor, but I've taken a few first aid courses."

Tony held out the first aid kit but didn't let go of it when the other man reached for it. "Is that a job requirement?"

"No, it's not, but it doesn't hurt to have some basic acknowledge."

"Mmm. So, I guess that's one of the many things you know a little about?" The billionaire asked, letting the case handle slip from his fingers.

"You could say that,"

"So I'm sleeping with someone who takes first aid courses and classes or whatever to give massages, and does it for fun, instead of going to the movies or some other normal recreational activity? Lucky me."

"You're bleeding right now," An arched eyebrow. "I wouldn't call that being lucky."

"Pff. Details, details."

Tony was asked to uncover the wound so he took off the robe, throwing it on the sofa. He lay down on the rug again, watching as the other man kneel down beside him, putting the case at his side before pulling it open. After rummaging around, he pulled a few things out, and then looked back at him.

"Do you want something for the pain?"

The billionaire blinked. "You're very good at this. You sure you're not a doctor?"

"Very sure. Do you want something or not?"

"Nope, I'm good." There was no way he was going to let himself get all drowsy and stupid in front of him.

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure," Tony echoed with a smirk.

A snort, but he didn't insist, closing the first aid kit and placing the items he chose on top of it. Tony watched him tear open a bag and put on the pair of gloves that had been inside. He cleaned the area and then applied disinfectant, making Tony wince.

Putting the bottle of disinfectant aside, he reached for the packet of sterilized needles and the little bag of surgical thread and pulled them open, threading the needle easily and getting ready to start working to patch him up.

"Last chance," A warning look and a needle in his hand. "You can still get a professional to take care of this."

"Nah. Looks like you know what you're doing."

"Alright. Just don't complain if the stitches are crooked."

Tony sucked in a breath as the needle pierced his skin with no warning. "Holy fucking shit! Warn a guy, will you?"

"It's better this way, believe me."

He cursed under his breath before he bit his lip, hands curled into first at his sides as the other man continued working; pulling the needle in and out and pulling the fresh together. When closing his eyes didn't help distract himself from the pain, he turned his head to look at the younger man's face. The dark eyebrows were knitted together in concentration, and lips pressed together in a thin line.

"You okay?" Hazel eyes flickered up as the last stitch was closed up.

The billionaire made an 'ok' sign; connecting his thumb and forefinger in a circle and lifting his hand. There was a fine sheen of sweat covering his face.

"Not bad," Tony commented after clearing his throat, peering down at his work. "And not crooked stitches. Your career as a doctor can be saved yet."

"I think I'm too old to go back to school," Was replied as the man reached for the medical tape, tearing off a strip with his teeth and using it to tape a piece of gauze in place to cover the stitches of the healing wound.

"That's ridiculous. You're not that old. But it's just as well," Tony shrugged, or tried to, wincing a little. "I've heard med school is fucking hell."

A snort as the gloves were pulled off. "Alright. You're all set."

"Thank you, sexy nurse, whose name I still don't know," Tony said pointedly.

There was no reply as the other man finished putting the supplies back in the first aid kit, leaving the disposable items aside to be thrown in the trash can. Only then he looked back at Tony, piercing hazel eyes meeting brown eyes for a wordless moment.

"You can call me B."

"B? Just the letter B!?" Tony exclaimed, already sitting up and glaring at the other man. "Are you fucking serious here? I just let you _stab me_ repeatedly with a needle and you can't even tell me your name?"

"You can call me Brandon or Ben if it makes you feel better," Was the dry reply, accompanied by laughing eyes.

Tony gaped at him, not quite sure if he wanted to kiss or punch the infuriating man at his side.

In the end, he chose to kiss him, but for purely selfish reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have progress, of a sort. :P I hope you enjoyed the easy banter here because next chapter things will get _interesting._ And yes, I know first aid kits normally don't include needles and stuff, but this is Gotham, and a luxurious hotel too, so yeah.
> 
> Thank you everyone who's still reading! This chapter was supposed to be up a couple of weeks ago, but things happened. So, I'm sorry for letting you guys waiting, and I hope you're still enjoying the fic.


	7. one month later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one hundred percent inspired by [Starkind.](http://archiveofourown.org/users/starkind/pseuds/starkind) This is most likely not what you had in mind, but well. This is the way my brain chose to go.

Tony acted without thinking, but even if he had taken a moment to consider it, he was pretty sure he would have done the same damn thing.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind B, Tony pushed him back against the wooden surface and kissed him hard. There was a breathless gasp under the billionaire's mouth in response before he was being kissed back. He let one of his hands come up to fist in the man's short hair while the other rested flat against the door. He continued his attack on B's mouth, tasting and thrusting his tongue inside in earnest.

The other man responded easily, but let Tony keep full control of the kiss, which causing both arousal and a flare of anger to go through him. The billionaire tightened his grip on the dark hair, not hard enough to cause real pain, but eliciting a delicious moan from the other man and making the hand wrapped around his neck tighten its grip.

When Tony finally pulled back, he was literally gasping for air. He waited a couple of seconds for the spots dancing at the edge of his vision to disappear, but as soon as he didn't feel ready to pass out he noticed that while B wasn't quite as wrecked as him, he was also short of breath and his face was flushed, his lips swollen and damp.

The billionaire made a noise in the back of his throat before plundering his mouth again as his skilled hands started to work on the man's clothes. He was sure a few buttons were ripped off as he pulled roughly at the white shirt, but he couldn't care less. He simply pulled it off along with the jacket and dropped them to the floor. The thin cotton undershirt followed a second later.

Tony's left hand went to play with the man's nipples as soon as his chest was bared, skilled mouth sucking at the strong chiseled jawline and slowly trailing lower. B tilted his head back against the door, his eyes closed as Tony sucked on the skin on his neck while his free hand felt out the rapidly hardening erection through his clothes.

One of B's hands slipped under his shirt, touching bare skin. Tony felt a gentle tug at the cloth but made no move to comply with the silent request, fumbling instead with the man's trousers. It wasn't long before both, trousers and underwear were pooled around the taller man's ankles, and with his mouth still trailing across the man's skin, Tony started to work on his own clothes too.

Tony grid against him as soon as he was naked below the waist, pushing their erections together, and then his fingertips were trailing lower and between the man's buttocks teasingly.

"You need-"

 _"Shut up,"_ Tony snarled. He was breathing heavily as he pulled away, kicking his pants and underwear off. "And don't you fucking move."

There was no response as he walked away shakily. Once he reached the bedroom, he snatched his suitcase from the floor, cursing himself for not thinking of doing this first as he rummaged through it for a condom and a bottle of lube.

When he returned, he found the naked man still leaning against the door, his dark hazel eyes watching Tony's every move. He hadn't moved, just like he ordered him. The billionaire felt a pang of something at the thought but brushed it aside as he closed the distance between them.

He made quick work with the items he brought with him, and unlike the previous occasions, he wasted little time to prepare the other man before he penetrated him, eliciting a sharp inhale of breath from him. He started moving almost immediately, his movements quickly gaining force and speed.

It was hard to keep the same frantic rhythm when his legs and the arm he was bracing against the door were starting to shake, but Tony managed it. He continued thrusting mercilessly, exhilarated by every moan and pant that escaped the man's mouth, feeling his ragged breath against his neck. One of B's long, strong legs was wrapped tightly around Tony's waist and the other planted on the floor supporting his weight.

The billionaire licked and sucked a hot trail from B's lobe to his lips, kissing him fiercely before sliding his mouth back to the man's neck, feeling him tilt his head back to give him better access. The soft sound of a gasp next to his ear made him shudder.

He didn't last long. The frantic pace and the alcohol in his system didn't make for a good combination, after all. So, Tony stifled a groan by biting down hard on the base of his neck as he came, his fingers digging into B's shoulder.

Tony panted, his forehead resting on the man's shoulders and eyes squeezed shut as he went boneless against him, feeling lightheaded.

He was still struggling to control his breath and get his body to stop shaking all over when he looked up and saw the smoldering, half-lidded eyes, the wet bruised lips and the light red tint on the man's cheeks. The slightly fast rise and fall of his chest with each breath and the thin layer of perspiration covering it.

It was more than obvious the man was turned on, if the hardness he could feel poking at him was any indication, but he ignored it. He pulled out without a word, the leg that had been wrapped around him sliding down. Tony moved to pick his underwear off the floor and put it on before walking away and toward the center table and the bottle of scotch he opened before B's arrival.

He lifted the scotch to his lips for a long gulp and walked farther away without looking back.

Numbly, Tony headed toward the en suite bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He almost dropped the bottle, then, but managed to put it safely away after yet another generous gulp.

"Fuck," He breathed, hands resting flat on the large bathroom counter and head bowed.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that; eyes squeezed shut and a cold and dreadful feeling curling in the pit of his stomach, but when he returned there was no trace of what happened and B was sitting on the sofa, waiting.

Fingers curling tightly around the neck of the bottle, Tony walked toward him. The other man had put his pants back on, but his shirt was draped on the back of the sofa along with his jacket and tie. Hell, even his own clothes were neatly folded on the sofa too.

The sight of the angry dark red patches on the pale skin of B's neck was enough to send a wave of arousal through Tony. The hickeys hadn't been an accident. Tony had fully intended to put them there. A little something from him for B's other clients to see.

A simple mark. A claim of possession.

Yet, the rest hadn't been planned. Not the handful of finger-shaped bruises, the bite mark on his left shoulder that draw blood, nor the raw, reddened skin around his mouth that looked almost painful. Something clenched in his stomach, but Tony swallowed hard and lifted his eyes to the man's face.

"Sorry about that," His tone was plain, almost unconcerned as he said it. "I'll pay extra or whatever."

"It's fine," B dismissed easily. "It looked like you needed it."

The billionaire dropped onto the couch with a snort before lifting the already half-empty bottle to his lips. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw B look down at the distance he purposely left between them.

"Do you want to ... talk about it?"

The corner Tony's lips twitched slightly upward at the hesitant request. He couldn't help but be reminded of the first time they meet and B's comment about how he wasn't paying him to be curious. It almost felt like a lifetime away.

"There's nothing to talk about. I just had a shitty week."

Tony's lips curled further into a nasty twist. Of course, there was no reply to that. No prompting for more information or any kind of trick or attempt to get him to talk. Nothing.

"Speaking of which, I tried to see you last week," Tony commented casually. "But they told me you had another commitment."

Hazel eyes flickered away. "Yes, I was informed of that. I apologize for the inconvenient."

"No need to apologize," The billionaire dismissed, a tight-lipped smile plastered on his face. "It's not like I'm the only one that can pay for your lovely _company,_ after all," Tony didn't miss the minute stiffness of the man's shoulders. "So, was it a she or a he?"

"I don't- I'm not at liberty to discuss that."

"Come on! It's not like I'm going to figure out who you were fucking around with if you tell me if it was a woman or a man."

There was no reply from the other man, but the eyes that didn't quite meet his own and the chafed lips pressed together showed he was affected somewhat by the words. In that second, Tony was glad for it. He said that with every intention to make him feel like the cheapest whore in this fucking city.

"If you have a problem with this arrangement you can put an end to it at any time," Was said in a soft voice.

"So I'm the one with the problem here? That's rich. That's real rich."

"I didn't-"

"You know what? I think you should leave now," Tony glared openly at him. "Coming here and calling you was clearly a mistake."

B opened his mouth but closed it again without a word. He bowed his head for a second, and when he looked up again, there was a blank expression on his face. "As you wish, Mr. Stark."

Tony watched him rise to his feet in what would have been a smooth motion were it not for the wince that crossed his face for just a second before reaching for his clothes. He slipped on his shirt and jacket but didn't bother to fasten them, reaching one-handedly for his briefcase on the couch as he walked away.

Without a word or backward glance, B pulled the door open and was gone a second later, just like that.

With a snarl, the billionaire threw the bottle against the TV, cracking the screen and spilling scotch onto the floor along with shards of glass. That wasn't enough, though. It was soon followed by an empty tumbler and a potted plant that ended hitting the wall instead.

Still angry, but too tired to keep lashing out Tony sank back into the couch with his hands covering his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *clears throat* Well. I did say things were going to get interesting, didn't I? Just didn't mention if it was going to be good interesting or bad interesting, so, here we are.
> 
> So, yeah. Part of the reason why it took me so long to post this chapter is the fact I'm very, very nervous about sharing it. Most of it is due to the fact this was the more explicit scene I've ever written (which I admit is not all that explicit, really), but also for the direction it took. *sigh* I have no idea why I even do this to myself, really, but I would appreciate any kind of feedback you can give me.


	8. two weeks later

Tony jiggled his leg nervously under the table, a tumbler of scotch cradled between his hands. He ordered it as soon as he arrived, but the drink was still untouched. The comfortable chair and semi-darkness did nothing to help him relax as he waited, sitting at a table in a secluded corner of the hotel bar.

After the disaster that was their last encounter, the billionaire thought it best to hold the meeting in an open, neutral space rather than his hotel room, but given the sensitivity of what they had to discuss Tony chose the hotel bar rather than a more open and crowded place.

He was honestly surprised by the fact he was able to set the appointment as if nothing happened. Without a warning or even a _suggestion_ to not repeat what happened the last time. He was well aware of the fact this was a business, but Tony didn't want to believe they cared so little about their employees as to send them into potentially dangerous situations.

Either he was wrong and they truly didn't give a fuck, or B hadn't mentioned what happened. Neither option made Tony feel better, but then again, the last thing he deserved was to feel better.

It was truly a difficult call to make, and not because he was afraid of being turned away (though that fear had been there) but because he was ashamed of his actions. A part of him wanted to face B and apologize about what happened, and the other couldn't even think about facing the other man.

It would have been oh-so-easy to simply stay away and forget any of it even happened. In the end, he had been unable to do it. The fact Pepper and Rhodey hadn't let him wallow in his bullshit had helped considerably too.

They didn't know what happened, thank fuck.They just knew something went wrong on his last trip here and that he needed to fix it for their own mental well-being.

Fingers drumming against the hard surface, Tony looked down at his watch one more time. The other man wasn't late, not yet. The billionaire came down to the bar early with the intention of drinking a couple of shots to loosen up a little but found he just couldn't. He rubbed a hand across his face.

He was about ready to signal a waiter over and ask for a soda or some other alcohol-free drink when he finally saw him. B had already spotted him and was approaching with long confident strides and an unreadable expression on his face.

"Mr. Stark." B greeted politely.

Tony winced visibly, looking up at the man towering before him. "Can you not do that? Please."

"Excuse me?"

"The thing where you call me Mr. Stark," Tony added. "Just don't."

A tip of his head. "As you wish,"

The billionaire was barely able to hold back yet another wince at the obliging reply. They were the exact same words B said to him when he kicked him out.

"You can sit down," Tony offered uncomfortably when it became clear the man wasn't going to do it on his own. He looked around out of the corner of his eye, but thankfully the bar wasn't too crowded and the few people there seemed too busy to pay attention to them.

"Thank you," There was no emotion behind the reply; just plain, polite words delivered with a blank expression. The man took off his coat and draped it on the back of the chair before sitting down, his hands folded together on the table as he looked at him.

Tony almost sighed in relief when a waiter approached the table as he was still trying to figure out what the fuck he was going to say. All thoughts of that flew out of his mind when he heard the other man order a whiskey. That- wasn't right. B didn't drink alcohol. Ever.

He had to bite his lip to stop from commenting on that. The billionaire cleared his throat, drawing the waiter's attention. "Can you get me some water, please."

Dark hazel eyes were back on him as soon as the waiter walked away.

"I- thanks for coming," He said awkwardly in one attempt to fill the silence.

A small head move, but no words or change in the man's expression.

Tony almost opened his mouth a couple of times to talk while they waited, but didn't dare. He should be apologizing already. Should be probing around a little to try to determine just how much he had fucked things up with his fucking idiocy.

He remained silent, telling himself he was only waiting for the waiter's return to ensure there will be no interruptions, even if he knew damn well he was just stalling.

As soon as the glass of water appeared before him Tony reached for it, gulping half of its content in one go. The water helped relieve his dry throat and nothing more. A far cry from what the scotch he pushed aside would have done for him. Or _maybe not,_ as previous situations showed.

Long slim fingers curled around the tumbler with the amber liquid and lifted it up for a sip.

Damn it! What the hell was he supposed to say now?

"Here," Tony said as soon as B's tumbler was pulled away from his mouth. He put a small, black square box on the table and pushed it toward the other man. "This is for you."

A lazy glance was spared down at the table before hazel eyes were back on his. "What is it?"

The other man made no attempt to even reach to touch the box, and Tony took his hands off the table and rested them on his lap to hide his fidgeting. "It's just something I bought for you. A gift. Just- just open it."

For a moment, the billionaire thought he wasn't going to do it. The minute arch of a dark eyebrow the only change, and then B reached for the box, sharp eyes still fixed on his. Tony looked away from the man's face. The tiny curl of lips and peculiar dry twitch of that lifted eyebrow he had come to know so well over the last several months were missing from that expression.

When Tony forced himself to look up again, he had to squint his eyes while trying to read the expression on the man's face as he looked inside the box. Damn it. He sucked at reading faces, and the poor lighting wasn't helping any. It was something he considered before picking a table but had dismissed it in favor of the privacy this corner offered.

"You're trying to give me a watch worth over ten grand as a gift?" There was a slightly disbelieving note in the question.

B hadn't even touched the watch inside, much less bothered to take it out of its velvet box.

Looking up, Tony made a face. "JARVIS said it was a bad idea."

"Jarvis?"

"He's my baby. Not literally, of course," Tony added right away. "He's my AI."

The well-groomed eyebrow went up further.

"You know, as in an artificial intelligence system."

"I know what AI stands for."

"Right," Tony muttered, but he couldn't find it in himself to give a smartass reply. B was still acting weird (not that he blamed him) but at least they weren't back to the no asking questions bit from the beginning. "JARVIS is a highly advanced computerized AI I built. He was quick to point out what a terrible idea the watch was when I asked him to order it."

"You have an AI that gives you advice on buying people presents?"

Tony couldn't help but snort. "That's not the only thing he offers advice about. _And_ unrequested advice, at that. He's very mouthy."

A pause. "You know I can't accept this."

"The possibility crossed my mind, yes," The billionaire replied offhandedly, reaching for his glass of water.

The box was snapped shut and slid back across the table. Tony didn't reach for it.

Dark hazel eyes met his when he looked back. "If you wanted to apologize, all you had to do was say the words. You didn't have to give me anything."

"Yeah, I know. I just- I'm kinda used to throw money at my problems to get them fixed. So I thought, why mess with a system that works?" He added with a falsely cheerful tone.

Fucking shit. He wasn't here to point out all the other reasons why he was a piece of shit. That was not what came here for. He rubbed a hand across his face before leaning forward, elbows resting on the table.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know I fucked up, just like I do all the fucking time, it seems. I was drunk and acted like a fucking asshole and attacked you. Really, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to see me again. Hell, if you say the word I'll get the fuck out of here and never come back. You have my word."

A slow blink. "Maybe we should talk about what happened."

"Do we really have to?"

"I think we do," A piercing gaze. "We seem to have different recollections of what happened."

"Really?" The billionaire asked flatly.

"Really. I don't think you understand we're both responsible for what happened. You did not assault me. You did not force me to do anything."

Tony flinched. He opened his mouth to refute it, but the other man didn't let him.

"When you first contacted the agency, they give you a list of stipulations you had to agree to before signing." Tony nodded slowly. "It was made clear there than any type of sexual intercourses had to be consented _only_ by the two parties involved."

"Well, yeah, but I thought that was just bullshit. That they were just covering their own asses and making things seem legitimate on the books and shit."

"They're not." A firm, piercing glance. "I've had sex with clients before, of course, and every time that happened was because I wanted to. You don't have to believe me, but I wouldn't be working with them if I didn't have that freedom."

The billionaire watched him warily, but he still felt himself relax a little.

A finger running along the rim of the tumbler. "It's like going on a blind date or being set up with someone you haven't met yet. If I have a good time, if I enjoy the other person's company, I may choose to spend the night with them."

"And if you don't?"

"If I don't, I'm obliged to stay for the duration of the date--with some dire exceptions, of course--but nothing more. Only I have the power to decide what I do with my body." A hard look. "They're paying _only_ for my company, and I make sure they know that."

Tony shook his head after a moment of stunned silence. "That doesn't excuse what I did. I-"

"I could have said no. I could have." Was repeated, the words emphasized. "And even if you ignored me, I could have put a stop to it and leave. I know how to take care of myself and would never hesitate to do so. It was my decision to stay."

Silence filled the air as Tony tried to wrap his head around the words.

"To be honest, I thought you were apologizing for your attitude after we had sex. That was what bothered."

He swallowed. "I was angry. I wanted to hurt you. Punish you," He admitted. "I- was not in a good place. I had a week of hell and tried to see you and them- they told me you weren't available. I _needed_ you and you were out there with someone else."

A tip of the head. "I know you don't think much of what I do, but it is my job and I have a responsibility to fulfill it. There's a real possibility that what happened that day will happen again, and I need to know you understand and respect that.

"And if you can't do it, maybe it would be best if we don't see each other again."

"Fair enough," Tony replied with a nod.

He wasn't sure he could do that. Couldn't ignore the knowledge B wouldn't be always free to see him whenever he wanted because he was busy entertaining someone else. But, he didn't have any other choice, did he? He was going to have to find a way to deal with it if he wanted to keep meeting with the other man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I'm sorry if there are even more mistakes than usual in this chapter. I'm not feeling all that good right now so I didn't take as much time to look it over as I usually do. I probably will be back later to try and fix anything too bad. I just didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer.~~
> 
>  
> 
> And done. I made just a few small changes here and there. Also, I want to thank everyone for reading, and especially for the comments, kudos and bookmarks. I'm very happy you're enjoying the story so far!


	9. two months later

Tony took his eyes away from the menu between his hands and looked around the small diner. It was mostly empty, with a couple of booths used and only one of the counter stools occupied, so he let his eyes wander.

It kind of had the air of an English pub- but not really. It was still nicer than your average diner, with its wooden panels and yellow lights hanging from the rafters. There were paintings adorning the pale walls and the caramel-colored booths were actually kind of comfortable. The place looked old, there was no question about that, but it also was well cared for and clean. You could say it was almost cozy- if that was even a word you could associate with a diner.

Before long a petite blonde girl approached the booth with a small smile. The name tag on her uniform read Holly.

"Hi. What can I get you?"

Tony looked at B, who simply inclined his head in silent concession. The billionaire looked back at the waitress with a smile.

"I want a deluxe cheeseburger with lots of fries. No, make that a deluxe cheeseburger _and_ an order of fries- A big one. And a beer too. Whatever brand is less disgusting," He added with a wave of his hand. He wasn't a fan of beer exactly, but it was better than drinking anything stronger.

The girl blinked at him, "Uh, okay." She bit her lip and turned to the other man.

"I'll have a double espresso and the devil’s food, please."

She nodded as she finished writing in the little notepad in her hand. "Okay, I'll be back in a sec."

Tony didn't even bother to look as she walked away from the table. She was cute, yeah, but she was a bit too young for his taste. He turned his attention to the man before him instead.

"Devil's food, huh?"

A smooth shrug. "I like chocolate."

"So," Tony started, hands clasped together on the table as he leaned slightly forward. "Are you one of those people who like to go straight for dessert or is this a special occasion?"

Head tilt. "I guess you could say it's a special occasion since I normally skip dessert."

"Oh, really?"

"Hmm."

Their young waitress returned before Tony could say anything else, placing a mug of espresso and the beer on the table before leaving again with the promise to return shortly with their orders soon. The sight and smell of the coffee were enough to make Tony's mouth water, but he settled for lifting the beer bottle to his lips.

Huh. The taste wasn't too bad. Tony looked down at the label before placing the bottle back on the table.

It was B who broke the silence after a moment, head propped on his hand as he looked at him.

"What do you think?"

The question dragged the billionaire's attention back to B. He looked at him before turning to take a quick look around the diner.

"Well, it doesn't look like much, but it's far from the worst place I've wound up," He said with a shrug.

Lips pressed together. "I wasn't talking about the diner."

"Oh?" Tony prompted, even if he already knew what the man was asking.

"What do you think about the city now that you've seen more of it?"

"Right." He pretended to ponder his answer. "Well, no one tried to mug or kill us, so I guess it was alright."

An eye roll. "Gotham isn't that bad."

"Excuse you. Do I need to remind you there's a guy dressed like a bat beating bad guys because the cops are too busy filling his pockets with money and looking the other way to do their job?"

"Not all cops are dirty."

Tony said nothing to that. It was insane, how even when B obviously knew how fucked up things were, he still didn't hesitate to defend his city.

"I'll take your word for it. And I had a good time, actually," He added.

"You sound surprised."

"Well, yeah. I still think this city is a hellhole, but I guess even hellholes have their perks."

A twitch of lips as hazel eyes flickered away.

The conversation was stalled by the arrival of the food. It looked good and smelled even better. Tony reached for a few fries and popped them into his mouth, chewing slowly. You could tell a lot about a place by the taste of his fries alone, and yep. These were delicious.

The billionaire was still chewing when the blond girl offered a polite 'enjoy your food' so he only gave her a thumbs-up while B thanked her.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they eat, broken occasionally by comments about the art exhibition they visited early that evening.

Tony still felt uneasy about being alone with B in a private room, even after their previous talk, so that was why he chose to keep B far away from the penthouse suite he was staying at this time.

Of course, going out with him was easier said than done, and it wasn't because of B exactly.

They could have gone to some fancy restaurant or whatever, but that had the possibility of drawing unwanted attention their way, and he was in no mood to deal with that crap right now. Of course, having billionaire entrepreneur Tony Stark roaming around the unsavory streets of Gotham was not an option either, unless he wanted to get kidnapped or worse.

Though the idea of getting in trouble and having Batman sweep to his rescue had some appeal, he didn't think it was worth the risk. He'll leave that as a last resort. Tony wasn't that desperate to meet the guy. Freak, or whatever.

Still, Tony left the Gotham City Royal Hotel in his rented fiery red Audi and headed to the agency to exchange it for a dull silver Sedan. Because yes, he may be all for getting the 'Gotham Street Experience', but he wasn't going so far as to use the public transport. That was a no-no.

He made sure to give a very generous tip in exchange for discretion and ventured into the streets with only the old car and a battered cap to disguise his identity.

There was no outward reaction from B at his disguise when he picked him up, and even if things had been a bit strained between them, his wry sense of humor and easy going attitude helped Tony relax fairly quickly.

The billionaire hadn't been particularly thrilled when B suggested visiting an art exhibition, but agreed easily enough, partially because he still felt a little guilty about what happened.

He liked art just fine as was evidenced by the ridiculous amounts of money he had paid in the past to buy paintings and a few other art pieces, but he wasn't a fan of boring art exhibitions where you had to parade around trying to find deeper meanings in pieces that looked like something a five-year-old could have painted.

The gallery B directed him at was small and in the middle of nowhere, which made sense since the exhibition was from a young local artist. The exhibition itself was full of contrast. It included colorful, vibrant paintings as well as ones with barely any color in them. Abstract and sharp strokes. There were even a few sculptures too.

And it was far from boring, actually. There was music playing from the speakers, and the atmosphere of the place was anything but solemn with people speaking and laughing all around.

He didn't buy anything, but a few pieces did catch his eye, so Tony took a small card with the artist's information. He was going to have Pepper look into it.

Gothamites in there and in the streets either didn't care to have a billionaire walking among them, or they simply didn't know who he was (shocking) but he couldn't care less which was the reason why nobody looked at him twice. It was fun.

Tony was the first to admit he was an attention whore most of the time; he basked in being the center of attention everywhere he went, but it still had been refreshing to be able to walk around like any other person for a little while, even if it wasn't something he would enjoy on a daily basis.

By the time the delicious cheeseburger was gone, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He cleaned his fingers with a napkin before reaching for it, only to find he had a new message from Rhodey.

_'How's your date going?'_

Tony grimaced as he read it. Rhodey was just teasing him, of course, but-

_But_ this was the closest to an actual date he had had in years, which was cool because he wasn't exactly the dating type and everything. Still, it wasn't something he had dwell on after the initial realization because well, it was just ridiculous--especially because he was literally paying B to be here--but having Rhodey bring it up like that was making him think about it again.

"Something wrong?"

The billionaire looked up at that, feeling his frown disappear as he met a pair of curious hazel eyes.

"No, not really. Just a friend of mine trying to be funny," Tony was about to turn his attention back to his phone but stopped. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you stealing my fries?"

"No."

"No?"

A pause. "I only took one."

"You should know better than to get between a man and his fries," He told him as he put his phone on the table, leaving the message unanswered.

"I guess I should."

The billionaire bit back a comment about punishing him for that later tonight because nope, he wasn't going there. At least not tonight.

"Tell you what," Tony said after a moment, leaning forward. "I can give you some fries in exchange for a bite of that chocolate monstrosity you ordered."

A thoughtful look, then the ghost of a smile. "Deal."

The billionaire shot him an answering smirk as they exchanged plates.

That night, Tony found out he didn't quite hate Gotham as much as he had before, that art exhibitions from nobodies were fun, and that he loved Devil's Food. The other thing he found out was so ridiculous and insignificant that he just ignored it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I chose to bring you a little fluff affter the angst of the last couple of chapters. And, in case you're wondering, I took the devil's food thing from a clip of Young Justice I found around. :P
> 
> And I'm very sorry too for the long wait.


End file.
